4 Year Old with Terminal Cough!

I agree with the other posts. My niece has allergies/ asthma and is persistantly coughing. Now she is on the right regimen, and doesn't need to cough as much, but it is a habit now, because they didn't know what it was for a long time, and kept prescribing meds for colds and stuff. I would get a second opinion.

Are you sure it is not Asthma? Mine gets a terrible cough that sounds "cogested" every time she has a cold and FINALLY (when she was hospitalized for low oxygen levels)---she was diagnosed with "reactive airway disease" a type of asthma in young children that most of them grow out of. Some children "react" to allergens, cold air, colds.... They are healthy otherwise and can run around like crazy--but the cough, especially a night sounds horrible.

D.

I know exactly what you're going through. I have a 1 year old that goes through the same thing. However, I do have a natural remedie that has helped my little guy.
I took this when I was a little girl and sware by by it, so does my 102 yr old grandmother. melt a lg stick of peppermint, in the juice of 1 lemon, when melted add three tablespoons of honey. mix an place in a jar for safe keeping. Will last for 4 months.
I dip my sons pacie in it, he loves it.
recommended dose is 1 tablespoon

good luck

Hi K.

Your son might have allergies to unknown substances. My suggestion is to take him to an allergist. It is clearly an irritation to him, and should be addressed. I'm sorry your ped wasn't more helpful.

Try homeopathy. For some basic information about this modality, go to www.impossiblecure.com and read the chapter on the site. Then go to www.homeopathic.com and see about getting a book on homeopathic pediatrics. Or find a homeopathic doctor.

The very best to you and your family.

Until you get him to the Dr. you might want to try corn syrup. I read online that it is a natural remedy to loosen phlegm and it helps with congestion. I have not tried it myself, but many have and swear by it.

YOUR son is MY son a year ago! Perfectly healthy, except that he coughs all the time.

I took him to a pulminologist (pediatric lung/asthma doctor) after I mentioned it to my daughters asthma doctor and he said bring it it. Chronic cough is a very little knows symptom of asthma. My son also has allergies to common things and the asthma was a result of the allergies.The did the allergy testing so we knew exactly what we were working with. My son is on an inhaler twice a day and now never coughs at all, he also seems to have a stronger immune system since his airways are not inflamed.

Please, get him checked out by a specialist.

I would take him to the ear, nose and throat doctor if you aren't getting satisfaction with your pediatrician. It sounds like post nasal drip which can be caused by allergies. The constant drainage down the back of the throat causes irritation and the reflex to cough. It could also create back up in the inner ears. Which is why I'd opt for the specialist who can really check all three areas and help your son.
Until then you can give him a children's benedryl at night about 30 minutes before bed. That will help to dry him up a bit and not cough so much at night.

Get yourself a second opinion. Yeah kids cough but not constantly. I have learned that sometimes docs just don't listed! I have a wonderful Ped doc in Orlando, she listens. She is a mother and knows that mommys know when something is wrong. Let me know if you are interested and I will send you her information.

My son is 3 and has severe asthma, because his ped and pulminologist never gave up and always listened to me we finally got him on a good regimen and now he has not had an attack in months! Not only did he have asthma but he had reflux, causing the night coughing and irritating his bronchial tubes worse. Thank god for docs that listen! Take care of you and good luck.

Oh yeah, god bless you for being 42 and trying for another. I am 35 and 5 months along, dang I wish I was 25 if ya know what I mean.

T.

he could be allergic to something causing the coughing. my son 4yrs old, i have just found out is allergic to alot of things. mostly my cat that i've had since before he was born that i now have to kick out of my house. and he has an allergy to grass, oak, elm, dust mites, mild peanut, and the list goes on. but my son would have the cough. it took a month of albuteral and other things before we kicked the cough. and when the doctor said it was allergies we started him on prescription singulair. he is also taking claratin and now they have givin me nasonex nasal spray to help. i would talk to your doctor about allergies. maybe try some over the counter claratin to see if that makes any changes. they make a chewable claratin for 2yr and up.

Your child may have reflux from the esophagus into his throat and penetrating into his airway, causing coughing. I would ask you pediatrician to rule that out. It can occur throughout the day and your child doesn't have to lying down for it to occur.
Is his voice hoarse from time to time?-that is also an indicator.
I would also consider a check up for allergies and asthma. Kid don't "just cough."

May I suggest your ped referring him to an Ear/Nose Throat dr? Sounds like there may be an irritation. It could be one of the foods he is eating or drinking. I would get an air purifier too, they can be inexpensive if you do your homework. Get one that does not require expensive filter replacement. He needs a throat soother. Make sure he is not milk allergic. Hope he quits caughing soon, maybe it is a growing thing for him, but I would have tests done from throat specialist if you have insurance to cover it.

About me: I am a 43 year old 5th time mom, work full time taking night classes til the end of April 08. I love life and have a wonderful 2 1/2 year old toddler that keeps me very busy! He is a lot of fun.

Somehow I must have hit send twice, and posted a duplicate response. I'm writing this having deleted the second post, but needing to put something in the box!
My apologies,
M. M.

Hi K.,

My daughter is 7 yrs old, but I can relate to "cough scare". During cold season we dealt with that dreadful cough that partically kept my child up at night(when she was 3-4 yrs old). With much concern about her developing a sore throat or chest, the doctor prescribed something to help open up her air-way. Even though my child doesn't have asthma, we were given ALBUTEROL (17 GRAMS) to be administered only when she had an overbearing cough (that was only during the cold season). They also give us a AeroChamber Plus with ComfortSeal Mask (Monaghan Medical Corp), which is designed for administing the med to younger children. It even comes with a picture of a Teddy Bear for demo'ing to the child. We don't ahve a need to use it each time she gets a cold, but whenever it's a persistant cough, she gets a couple of pumps and back to sleep she goes. We also use a "cool mist" humidifer, sometimes with a little Vick's Vapor oil in it.
Hope I've been able to help a little.
Good Luck.

Hi, I think you mean your son has a perpetual cough not a deadly "terminal" cough right? Anyway, I would get another opinion ASAP. It's not ok for him to be coughing all the time (like the other post said). He probably has developed allergies of some sort. Our ped said it can happen after 3 years old. My daughter has a quite a cough at times (although not constant) and is on a nebulizer (has been seen birth) using Albuterol and sometimes pulmicort depending on the degree of cough. So get another opinion and best of luck to your little guy.

I think you mean chronic, no terminal

I understand not wanting to give meds but the reason they were recalled is because parents arent giving kids the correct dosages. There is nothing wrong with the meds themselves. However I just dont like meds so i know some good alternatives. Humidifiers help vicks works great and my kids think its fun. It smells funny and they get to sleep without a shirt.lol. Sitting in the bathroom with a HOT shower running for steam, those shower tablets are awesome, and you can also get those things that plug in i think they are vicks too. Now if he has a cough and it sounds like congestion that is not normal for him to have this all the time. If you ped doesnt seem concerned then i would get a second opinion. Good Luck.
A.

Sounds like allergies to me... I would get another opinion from a different ped... my 2-yr old takes Singulair in granule form (in her dinner food) and Zyrtec at bedtime...

My daughter has been a changed girl since she started her allergy meds... I would highly recommend that you find a doc who will discuss this with you.

Kids don't cough for no reason... especially not for months, weeks or even days!

Get another doc to talk to you!

Good luck!
K.

Hi my little guy had the same thing and my dr said all kids couch . I was not so sure so I took him to another Dr to see what she had to say . Well after a breathing test and some blood work we found out that he has mild asma when he starts with the coughing I put him on his nebulizer and it now only last a day or 2 . if we really watch him we can keep him away from his triggers. i;m really glad we went to a new Dr. she was realy helpful and now he is a lot more happy . the cough was awful. I hope this helps good luck M.

Hi K.,
The way his cough sounds actually sounds like something me and my son have been battling for the past two months. And I would recommend two things--first a humidifier in his room every night to keep the cough "loose." Dry coughs or croupy coughs are very painful and you want him to get up whatever it is that is down there.
Second, don't freak out over the recalls--the recalled meds are not dangerous (especially for kids over 2.) The reason they recalled them was because parents were over-dosing their infants using children's medication (vs infants) and not reading the labels correctly.
Just make sure you are dosing correctly, look at the dosage, the time between dosages and the max number of doses within a 24 hour period. And always use the dosage cup that comes with the meds or another appropriate medicine dispenser and not a teaspoon from your kitchen drawer.
I would recommend giving your son an expectorant during the day which helps loosen and remove any mucus Children's Mucinex is awesome. If the cough is waking him up at night--look at adding a cough suppressant to the expectorant at night.
Just read your labels and make sure you are not giving him anything twice like regular Mucinex, an expectorant and then a cough syrup that also has an expectorant in it.
If you are unsure--ask the pharmacist about what you can give at the same time--that is what they are there for!

I would take him for a 2nd opinion at a different doctor! My son has mild asthma and allerges, is almost 10, and we FINALLY have his coughing/breathing/sneezing under control with the right medication. He has been on and off of meds for years because I hated the idea of him being constantly medicated... yet every time I took him off of meds he was either coughing or had an itchy nose. A nurse friend of mine recently started working for an asthma and allergy specialist and she convinced me to give medication another chance so he wouldn't be so miserable all the time. I think with his coughing/breathing/sneezing under control, he is getting a better night's rest, which in turn is making him less irritable and more able to focus. It's not "OK" for a child to cough all the time when there are so many great preventative medications out there. My son's doctor put my son on the same medications his own son takes. Oh- and he used to clear his throat all the time (a friend once asked if it was a bad habit he didn't even notice he was doing, and I wasn't sure) and he doesn't do that anymore.

Don't take "kids cough" for an answer. I did and wound up with two children with pneumonia, one of which had to be hospitalized. If pediatrician won't look further--and I'd consider another ped--check with an allergist. I find that between the two, I usually can get a decent answer.

Do you think it may be a TIC? My daughter coughs a lot especially when she is under a lot of stress. She has been diagnosed with having TICs when she was three years old. My daughter is 4 now.

All the Best,
K.

K., ask about allergy/asthma. My 4yr old was diagnosed last yr w/ both! She's super healthy otherwise. Anytime she starts w/ a runny nose, we pretty much know that w/in 3 days she'll be on the inhaler. I asked about really cleaning up her diet (preservatives, etc) and her DR said if it was a food allergy causing the problem we would have known a long time ago. I'm not so convinced! She only tested positive for allergies to cats and dogs. We don't have either and she's rarely around either! We can't seem to pinpoint what is triggering the asthma. The only other thing I know to try is eliminating as much processed food as possible fr her diet. Things like gluten (I can't think of any others off hand!) can be not so good for the body. Keep me posted, I feel your frustration!!! Margaret